What Is Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy?
Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is a way for your child to receive IV antibiotics outside the hospital. It allows for greater flexibility and freedom in the way your child receives medicine. Your child can continue their treatment while spending less time in the hospital and more time at home.
The goals of OPAT are to:
- Avoid unnecessary hospital stays.
- Reduce the risk of getting an illness in the hospital.
- Transition to oral antibiotics when possible.
- Treat the infection safely and effectively.
What conditions do you treat?
IV antibiotics are for serious infections that cannot be treated with oral antibiotics (pills you take by mouth).
These might include:
- Bloodstream infections.
- Bone infections.
- Brain infections.
- Heart infections.
- Intraabdominal infections.
- Lung infections.
- Skin or soft tissue infections.
Your child’s care team may consist of infectious disease doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. They will monitor the IV antibiotic treatment.
Who’s eligible for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy?
Your child might be eligible for OPAT if:
- A caregiver in the home can be responsible for administering the medication.
- Your child has an infection that can’t be treated with oral antibiotics.
- Your child is medically stable.
- Your child’s care team determined it was safe for them to continue their IV antibiotic treatment outside of the hospital.
What Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy Services Do You Offer?
We offer IV antibiotics for your child in the comfort of their home.
With OPAT, we aim to:
- Manage side effects and infections.
- Provide expert care to children on IV antibiotics.
- Reduce the need for hospital readmissions.
What Can I Expect from Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy?
First, the infectious disease team at UPMC Children’s will develop a specific care plan for your child.
Your child will receive antibiotics through an IV line such as:
Your child’s care team will place the IV port in the hospital before they go home.
At home, a home health nurse may give the antibiotics. We can also train a parent, guardian, or other caregiver to administer the medicine. We will schedule the home health nurse to visit your home.
Even if you administer the antibiotics, a home health nurse will still make weekly visits. They will need to collect blood work, check on your child’s IV, and answer questions.
It’s important to follow all instructions of your child’s care plan and attend all follow-up appointments with the infectious disease team. We will monitor your child’s progress and make sure they are getting better.
It’s especially important to follow your child’s dosing schedule closely. The number of daily doses depends on the antibiotic chosen for treatment.
You will need to give the antibiotics at the same time every day. You can often pick a time that fits best with your child's schedule.
When the OPAT team decides your child is healthy enough, they can resume many daily activities. You should always check with your child's provider before they start any new activity, including school, sports, or work.
Caring for your child’s IV line
To prevent infection and other complications, you need to keep the IV site clean and dry. Your home health nurse can provide instructions and guidance on how to properly care for your child's central line.
You should always:
- Flush or "lock" the line as instructed.
- Keep the dressing clean, dry, and intact.
- Keep the line secured to prevent pulling or tension on the line.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching the IV line or site.
Don’t:
- Allow anyone without training to access the IV line.
- Get the dressing wet or submerge the IV line site in water.
- Use scissors or other sharp items near the IV line.
When to call the doctor
Your home health nurse can troubleshoot issues with the line, such as problems flushing or blood backing up into the catheter.
You should contact your OPAT provider right away if your child experiences IV line problems or signs of infections.
These include:
- Drainage or bleeding.
- Fever or chills.
- Line leaking, cracking, or moving from the insertion site (more than two inches).
- Rash or hives.
- Red streaks on your child’s skin near the central line.
- Redness, swelling, warmth, or pain at the site.
- Vomiting or diarrhea.
You should all 911 if:
- A severe allergic reaction affects your child’s breathing.
- The IV line gets unexpectedly and severely removed, causing massive bleeding or loss of consciousness.
- Your child has trouble breathing.
- Your child loses consciousness.
What is an outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy provider?
An OPAT provider is an infectious disease expert with experience administering intravenous antibiotics. These include doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.
Do I Need a Referral to Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy?
Your child will need a referral from their infectious disease doctor to be eligible for OPAT. An initial appointment will need to be scheduled with a member of the Infectious Disease team to determine if OPAT services are appropriate for your child's care.
Your outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy care team
Your child’s OPAT team consists of infectious disease experts. These might include:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
